Morgan Stanley opened the Anna Maria Island AAA Little League regular season with victories over Duncan Real Estate on Monday, March 21, and West Manatee Fire District on Wednesday, March 23, to serve notice to the rest of the league that they're the team to beat in 2005.

Monday's opening-night victory was sparked by strong pitching performances by William Brusso and Matt Bauer. Brusso started the game on the mound and limited Duncan Real Estate to three hits and one run in almost three innings of work. Bauer finished the game on the mound after relieving Brusso with two outs and two on in the top of the third inning.

Austin Wash led off the game for Duncan by reaching on an error, but he was erased at second when Jake Rappe grounded into a fielder's choice to short. Brusso struck out the next two batters to end the inning unscathed.

The second inning saw Brusso give up a single to left field by Glenn Bower before bouncing back with three consecutive strikeouts to keep the game scoreless. Duncan pitcher Troy Kozewski was also effective, with two shutout innings. He allowed only a single to Zach Evans in the second inning while striking out three.

Duncan took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when they touched Brusso for one run. Daniel Pimental led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Pimental got cut down trying to steal third before Alex Hall and Wash reached via walk. Rappe popped out to Brusso on the mound for the second out, but Kozewski singled to center to bring Hall home with the first run of the game. Bauer relieved Brusso on the mound and induced a ground out by Kyle Parsons to end the inning.

Bauer helped his own cause in the bottom of the inning when he drew a one-out walk. Three passed balls later, Bauer slid across home plate with the tying run.

Morgan Stanley took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning when Giorgio Gomez and Katie Hunt drew one-out walks. Gomez and Hunt moved to second and third after a passed ball and easily scored on Blake Rivers' two-run single to right field for a 3-1 lead.

Morgan Stanley added an insurance run in the fourth when Bauer led off with a double down the right-field line and scored when Zach Even's ground ball was booted for an error.

Duncan threatened in the top of the sixth when Kowewski and Glen Bower worked Bauer for walks, but Bauer struck out the last batter to end the game with Morgan Stanley on top by a 4-1 score.

Bauer got the pitching win with three scoreless innings that saw him allow one hit while striking out five. Bauer also led the way at the plate with a double and two runs scored, while Evans and Rivers each contributed one hit apiece in the victory.

Pimental, Glenn Bower, Kozewski and Trevor Bystrom each managed a single for Duncan in the loss.

Morgan Stanley 15, WMFD 7

Morgan Stanley jumped out to an 11-2 lead over WMFD through four innings, before withstanding a late rally that saw WMFD score five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Zach Even was the winning pitcher, allowing one hit and six runs while striking out seven batters. Even also led the way at the plate, going 2 for 4, including a triple and three RBIs, while Daniel Janisch added a pair of singles and four runs scored. Lead-off hitter Martine Miller reached base and scored all four times at bat with a single and three walks and Matt Bauer singled and scored three runs for Morgan Stanley. Sarah Howard added a single and one run for Morgan Stanley, which also received single runs from Kyle Parsons and Zach Evans in the victory.

Joey Hutchinson led the WMFD attack with a single and three runs scored, while Tommy Price singled and scored once. Mikey Dolan added a single for WMFD, which also received runs from Elijah Toussaint and Hunter Parrish in the loss.

Islanders team up, capture Sarasota Senior tennis title

Bradenton Beach resident Richard Gellman and Holmes Beach's Glen Schwanberg teamed up to capture the Sarasota Senior Tennis League's doubles championship in the 70s division. The league, which consists of over 1,000 players started back in November 2004 and played through March 2005. Gellman and Schwanberg ran away with the title by compiling an impressive 35-13 record, four full games ahead of second place Longboat Key Country Club's 26-16 record.

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